


Stress Relief

by HermioneJeanWayne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Candles, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Married Life, Massage, Slice of Life, So Married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 05:47:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14254311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermioneJeanWayne/pseuds/HermioneJeanWayne
Summary: Hermione’s stressed. Draco’s got a plan to help with that. The plan includes candles, a bathtub, a massage and no sex. (Yeah, right.)





	Stress Relief

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my lovely beta, DramioneConvert. You're fantastic, as always.
> 
> Thanks to J.K. Rowling, now and forever, for coming up with this lovely world that has inspired so many people. Proud to be part of this fandom!

Hermione Malfoy’s smile was stretching just a little too thin, and she knew she needed to get her friend and her son into the fireplace before it became too obvious. 

“Thanks, Ginny! He’ll have fun with you lot. Either Draco or I will be along to pick him up in a few hours,” Hermione said. “Leo! Listen to Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry, OK? But _don’t_ listen to Uncle Ron if he’s there!”

Leo giggled and flashed his mother a wide smile, his wild shock of platinum blond hair curling around his face. “Yes, Mum. Love you.”

“I love you too, son. See you later!” 

With that, Ginny and then Leo disappeared on their way to the Burrow, and Hermione finally blew out the breath she’d been holding most of the morning. She had maybe an hour and a half to check things off her list before Lyra woke up from her nap, and she intended to make good use of her time. The demands of her job as Deputy Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation plus the daily stresses that came with being a wife and mother were starting to wear on her, and there were small matters around the Manor that she wanted to deal with while she had the chance — the playroom was in a frightful state, and the library was in total disarray …

Hermione was so consumed with her mental to-do list that she totally missed her husband’s entrance, and nearly let loose a string of unfortunate curses at the sudden touch of his hand on her shoulder. 

“ _Godric_ , Draco! You startled me!” 

She turned just in time to see the teasing smirk on Draco’s face melt into a faux penitent frown. 

“I’m sorry, darling. I would _never_ do anything so uncouth as to frighten you on purpose,” her better half insisted as he clutched his hand to his chest. “Perish the very thought!”

“Ha ha ha,” Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes to cover her slight smile. “Was there something you needed? Lyra’s asleep and Leo and Ginny finally left, so this is my chance to actually get a few things done.”

“I don’t know about me, but I think there’s something _you_ need,” Draco said, features softening. “I’m running a bath upstairs for you. You’ve been dreadfully stressed — I can see it in the way you move, in the way you sit. You’re on edge. I want to give you a bath, then give you a massage. I want to help you feel better, and that will help me in turn.”

Hermione was about to refuse, mentally citing her laundry list of things to do, but the words died in her throat when she looked at Draco’s face. His eyes looked vulnerable, and he was biting his lip nervously. It had been a long time since the two of them shared an intimate experience that wasn’t between sheets, and she realized he was afraid she’d say no. Well, that just wouldn’t do. 

“You know, I’ve just mentally reorganized my to-do list,” she said. “First thing on the list now is to enjoy the lovely bath you’ve drawn for me.”

Draco’s relieved grin turned cocky in an instant. “Second on the list should be ‘turn to putty in Draco’s masterful hands,’” he said. “Third on the list … who knows?” 

Hermione rolled her eyes again and elbowed Draco in the side. 

“Ow! Watch those pointy elbows!” he yelped. She grinned. 

As the two of them made their way to the master bath in comfortable silence, Hermione grew even more curious about exactly what Draco had planned. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a bath, much less shared one with her husband. 

When they stepped into the bathroom, a slow smile grew on Hermione’s face. Draco had opted to leave the lights off, deciding instead to light candles for ambience. Steam was rising from the bath, and Hermione could feel her tense shoulders relaxing already. 

Draco’s hands rose to the top button of her cardigan, and he slowly began to undo the buttons one by one. He slipped the garment off her shoulders and gently pulled her camisole over her head. Off came her jeans, then he helped her out of her bra and knickers. At that, he paused for a moment and looked his fill, taking all of her in. His fingers lightly brushed the stretch marks on her stomach, and he bent forward to softly kiss one breast. 

Hermione’s breath hitched, and Draco looked up. His voice was rough but steady when he said, “I want to make one thing clear. This isn’t about me, it’s about you. I don’t intend this to be sexual. I just want you to relax.”

Hermione looked into his eyes and saw the truth there. 

“I really appreciate that, darling,” she said. “It means a lot to me.”

At that, Draco took his wife’s hand and helped her into the tub. He quickly stripped to his pants, sat on the edge of the tub and urged Hermione to sit back between his legs. When she was settled comfortably, he began to rub her neck and shoulders, setting a soothing rhythm. 

_Merlin_ , Hermione thought. _This could very well be Heaven_.

After Hermione had relaxed considerably, even closing her eyes and allowing her head to loll back, Draco squeezed a generous amount of vanilla lavender body wash onto a bath sponge, worked it into a luxurious lather, and began smoothing it over Hermione’s entire body. He washed her shoulders, slid the sponge over the stiffening peaks of her nipples and down past her navel. Her thighs were cleaned with care, and the sponge continued its journey past her calves and to the soles of her feet.

When he was done with the sponge, he rinsed it and set it aside, then moved to the other side of the tub and proceeded to massage every spot he had soaped. He rubbed her feet, paying special attention to her arches. His strong hands traveled up her body, working her thighs and upper arms. 

The entire time, the two of them often made eye contact, and Hermione offered him languid smiles when she could summon the wherewithal to do so. (Her lips were just as relaxed as the rest of her.) However, neither spoke a word. Nothing needed to be said, and they were both reluctant to shatter the cocoon of love and warmth in which they found themselves.

Hermione felt closer to Draco than she had in a long, long time — possibly years. Possibly since before Leo and Hermione’s first promotion at the Ministry. It wasn’t a coincidence that Hermione also found herself more turned on than she had been in a long time. Draco’s hands kept coming teasingly close to her breasts then veering away, and she was on the verge of grabbing them and putting his talented fingers right where she wanted them…

Something must have alerted Draco to the change in her state of mind — perhaps a new tension in her muscles, or an uneven quality to her breathing. He looked up, his pupils huge in the candlelight, and met her gaze. Hermione followed the motion of his Adam’s apple as he cleared his throat. 

In a low voice, barely above a whisper, he asked, “May I make love to you?”

Hermione could only nod. While Draco might not have been planning on sex from the beginning, there was no doubt what they both wanted. And Hermione was more than fine with that. 

After a few more moments of stillness, Draco extended his hand to Hermione and helped her out of the bath. She was grateful for his assistance — she felt so boneless that she had a hard time standing. Once she was wrapped in a towel and secure in Draco’s embrace, her mind came out of its massage-induced stupor. 

“That was … phenomenal. Really. Thank you so much,” she murmured. “This is the best I’ve felt in weeks. Maybe months.”

“Anytime. All you have to do is ask,” Draco said, placing a kiss on her forehead. 

Hermione raised her chin, catching Draco’s earlobe between her teeth. She always enjoyed the way he froze when she did that, and he didn’t disappoint. This time, he threw in a low moan for good measure. 

“I’m asking, but not for a massage,” she said. Just in case he didn’t catch her meaning, she punctuated the sentence by firmly grabbing what she considered to be his best asset. 

Draco actually _squeaked_ — Hermione filed that away for merciless teasing later. But right now, there were more pressing matters. Such as the one against her hip. She grinned, grabbed Draco’s hand and they tumbled back through the door and onto the bed.

*******

Thirty minutes later, when Lyra woke, a quite rumpled Draco went to heed her calls while Hermione — whistling a tune, if you can believe it — directed the house elves in reorganizing the library. 

Her to-do list was just as long as it had been that morning, yet she felt much more capable of getting shit done, and she had one particular blond wizard to thank for that. 

_Oh, and there he is now,_ Hermione thought as Draco walked into the room babbling with Lyra _. I should definitely thank him. And I know just how to do it_.

Hermione snuck up behind Draco, who was busy with Lyra. She leaned forward silently, seductively, reaching out a questing hand …

Draco’s cheeks were still burning. He really had to stop making that humiliating squeaking sound every time Hermione pinched his arse! And to make matters worse, neither Hermione nor Lyra could seem to stop laughing at his mortification. 

“See if I ever do anything nice like that for you again,” he grumbled, just loud enough for Hermione to hear. 

She beamed at him, unfazed. “I love you, sweetheart. You calm me down when I’m overwhelmed and you make me feel that I’m capable of doing the hundred things on my to-do list. You remind me every day that I made the right choice — the only choice — when I married you. Thank you.”

With that, she pushed herself up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Draco’s cheek, punctuating it with the barest swipe of the tip of her tongue. 

“And trust me, I’ll be _asking_ again soon,” she said with a wink before turning away with a decisive clap of her hands. “OK, let’s get this library back into shape!”

Behind her, Draco blushed again, but this time for an entirely different reason. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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